FATHER Tom Connolly outside the site of a proposed abortion clinic, in Wynnstay Grove, Fallowfield.

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A CATHOLIC priest has condemned plans by a leading sexual health organisation to open an abortion clinic in Fallowfield - saying it will be 'a house of death and carnage'.

And Pro-life campaigners have also called the decision to place the clinic in the heart of Manchester's student land, 'cynical'.

The Marie Stopes International clinic, believed to be opening in October, is in Wynnstay Grove, at the site of a former NSPCC day clinic, next to a hostel for homeless families.

Father Tom Connolly, parish priest of St Kentigern's Church, said: "Work is going on to adapt the building to do away with the unborn. This is a house of death and carnage. The lively children of the homeless hostel will be playing next door to an abortion clinic."

Father Tom also claimed two workman, who were sub-contracted to build the clinic, came to his door seeking redemption for undertaking the work and said they had been sworn to secrecy.

Marie Stopes International was established in London in 1976 and grew up out of an organisation set up by Dr Marie Stopes in 1921, the first female lecturer at the University of Manchester.

It already runs a clinic in St John Street in the city centre. It is a non-governmental organisation and registered charity which does charge for its services.

The clinic could offer services such as emergency and planned contraception, health screening like sexually transmitted disease testing, well woman, menopause checks, smear tests, female sterilisation and vasectomy, as well as abortion.

Abortion figures for 2003 published last week by the Department of Health revealed a 3.2pc rise overall, with a 6.6pc rise in the Greater Manchester area to 8643. Around 42pc of those are performed on young women aged 18 to 24 and 1004 were on under 18s. Around 16pc were carried out privately

Last available teenage pregnancy figures for south Manchester from 1997-99 showed there were 490 conceptions.

In 2001 there were 2549 teenage pregnancies throughout Greater Manchester.

Julie Millington, North West chairman and political director for the ProLife Party, said: "We are particularly concerned that the proposed clinic will be in Fallowfield, which has a large population of students and young professionals. Their decision process would have been based on where they would have made the most business. It's extremely cynical."

Miss Millington added: "We will be encouraging our supporters to express their opposition to these ghastly proposals to increase the already overwhelming destruction of the most vulnerable human lives."

Miss Millington said her organisation had no plans for direct action against the clinic but Father Tom encouraged people to demonstrate outside.

Current legislation allows for healthy foetuses to be aborted up to 24 weeks after conception but those with abnormalities can be aborted up to and during birth.

"Any human embryology text book will state human life begins at conception and we campaign for human life to be valued from conception," said Miss Millington.

An NHS sexual health service is available at the Palatine Centre, in Didsbury.